With more people booking holidays online, scammers are finding new ways to exploit both travel enthusiasts and property owners. This year, there has been a sharp increase in accommodation scams. The most common scam involves getting you to pay for a holiday rental that either doesn’t exist or isn’t actually available.
In May 2025 alone, more than 39,000 new holiday-related websites were registered, and one in twenty-one of these were flagged as malicious or suspicious. These fake websites often impersonate trusted platforms like Airbnb or Booking.com, and they look like the real deal.
How These Scams Work:
Scammers create fake websites or ads that mimic popular travel booking platforms. They use stolen branding, logos, and website layouts to trick people. These offers will seem ‘too-good-to-be-true’. Victims are often asked to pay by bank transfer. After they pay, the website or listing disappears.
What Can You do to Protect Yourself?
- Search for reviews of the property or host on other platforms. Compare prices across websites, if one listing is significantly cheaper, it could be a scam.
- Use up-to-date antivirus software.
- Avoid entering personal info on unsecured (non-HTTPS) websites. Secure websites start with “https://”, the “s” stands for secure.
- If someone is pressuring you to pay quickly, especially via bank transfer, take a step back. Scammers often create urgency to stop you from thinking things through. Legitimate providers won’t rush you into payment.
- Watch out for emails or social media ads offering cheap holiday deals. These can be phishing attempts. Instead of clicking links in messages or ads, go directly to the official website of the travel provider to verify any offers.
- Always book through trusted booking websites or licensed travel agents. Avoid deals that ask you to leave these platforms, especially if someone offers you a lower price if you pay off-site. For example, if you’re using Airbnb or Booking.com, stay on the platform to complete the booking and payment. Never pay by bank transfer, as these payments are hard to claim back if something goes wrong. Instead use credit or debit cards, which offer chargeback or Section 75 protection in case of fraud.
- Use tools like Google Street View to verify the property’s existence and compare it to listing photos.
- Before booking anything, check the URL of the site you’re using. Use tools such as https://www.checkmylink.ie/ , a free, reliable tool that helps detect fake or malicious websites.
- Always save or print a copy of your booking confirmation and payment details. If anything goes wrong, you’ll have a paper trail to support your case.
Cybercriminals are increasingly targeting accommodation providers with phishing attacks and then using stolen details to contact customers. These messages may arrive via WhatsApp or, more worryingly, through the legitimate Booking.com platform, making them harder to detect.
Due to the messages coming from what appears to be a trusted source, the usual red flags like strange email addresses or suspicious texts, might not apply. The scam messages often claim there’s an issue with your payment or that your card details need to be verified. To create urgency, they may warn that your booking will be cancelled unless you act quickly, usually within a few hours. A link is typically included, urging you to input your card details.
Booking.com warns:
“Always double-check the property’s payment policies listed on the booking page or in your confirmation email. If there is no pre-payment policy or deposit requirement outlined, but you’re asked to pay in advance to secure your booking, it is likely a scam.”
If you’re ever unsure, contact Booking.com customer support or your accommodation provider directly through the official channels. If you have put your card details into a site, call your card provider. You may need to block or cancel your card.
https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2025/0529/1515738-bank-of-ireland-warns-on-holiday-scams/
https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2023/06/avoid-common-holiday-booking-scams/
https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/shopping/stop-scams/
https://www.theguardian.com/money/2025/jun/29/your-reservation-is-at-risk-beware-the-bookingcom-scam